“Joe Versus The Volcano” is a funny and touching romantic comedy with a hint of fantasy. It has a fascinating dreamlike quality to it. It opens with what feels like a satire of “Brazil” and then takes you on a wonderful trip.

Joe (Tom Hanks “The ‘Burbs”, “Forrest Gump”) lives a depressing life working for a major corporation. His life changes when he discovers that he has a terminal illness. He soon receives an offer that means he gets to live in luxury for a few weeks if he agrees to throw himself into a volcano as part of a deal over mineral rights on a remote Pacific island.

Tom Hanks does a great job as Joe. Joe encounters many interesting characters including three different women played by Meg Ryan (“Sleepless In Seattle”, “When Harry Met Sally”). It’s really fun to see her play three very different roles. Lloyd Bridges (“Airplane!”) is great as the eccentric businessman that recruits Joe. Ossie Davis (“Bubba Ho-Tep”) is good as a limousine driver. Dan Hedaya (“The Usual Suspects”) is terrific as Joe’s domineering boss. There’s also a group of hilarious Pacific islanders that sing their own rendition of “Hava Nagila”. It’s really a very colourful set of characters that are on offer in this film.

“Joe Versus The Volcano” is a surreal movie that actually reminded me a lot of Hank’s “The ‘Burbs”. It also made me think of “Groundhog Day”, “Arthur” and “L.A. Story”. Parts of it feel a little rushed because the movie takes you on a pretty amazing journey very quickly. It would have loved to have spent a few more minutes with each of the characters that Joe encounters. If you want a delightful romantic comedy with an exaggerated aesthetic then look no further than “Joe Versus The Volcano”. It’s a real shame that this film has not received more praise.